Submitted Comment Name Nickolas Themelis Affiliation Columbia University; Prof. Emeritus, Earth and Environmental Engineering Subject Major contribution of California landfills to CA CO2 emissions Message California is doing a good job in controlling CO2 emissions with one exception: It is the U.S.major landfiller, as shown in attached technical paper. According to CalRecycle Report in 2019 , 40.3 million tons of MSW were landfilled in California. The methane generated was 0.05*40.3/1.1 = 1.83 million metric tons of methane , of which 0.61 million short tons were captured in CA landfills in EPA'S Landfill Methane Outreach Program (see Table 3, attached file; 0.61/1.1= 0.55 million metric tons CH4). Therefore, the landfill methane enissions of CA landfills in 2019 were: =1.83 million tons generated minus 0.55 million tons captured = =1.28 milion tons mehtane emitted to atmosphere. The IPCC has estimated that for the 20-year horizon, one ton methane is equivalent to 80 tons of carbon dioxide. Accordingky, the CA landfill emissions in 2019 were equivalent to: =1.28*80 = 102.3 million tons of This amount is about 25% of the total CO2 emissions in California, as reported by CARB (https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-data). CARB should include landfill methan emissions in your strategy for mitigation of climate change. Prof. Nickolas J. Themelis File Upload (i.e., Attachments): %22LFG U.S. methane emissions%22 JESE paper.pdf
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